No American striker has ever had quite a first professional year like Mia Fishel just had.

The 21-year-old UCLA product made initial waves when she decided not to join the Orlando Pride, the NWSL team that drafted her fifth overall and at the time was led by Fishel’s former college coach, Amanda Cromwell.

Her destination also raised some eyebrows. Fishel signed with UANL Tigres of Liga MX Femenil, joining a small but growing group of foreign-born players to make the leap to Mexico. Tigres were already four-time champions of the league founded in 2016.

When Fishel moved to Monterrey, she appeared to step away from certain pressures while adopting brand-new ones. Liga MX Femenil is a fast, technical and highly entertaining league in which young strikers tend to thrive.

Tigres had made a few high-profile moves prior to Fishel’s signing, sending Katty Martínez to Club America and losing Maria Sánchez to the NWSL’s Houston Dash. After missing the final of the 2022 Clausura season for just the second time in club history, Tigres also brought in a new head coach, former Canada international Carmelina Moscato. Despite the changes, Tigres entered the 2022 Apertura with high expectations, and Fishel was going to have to deliver.

The striker did that and more, becoming the first foreign-born player to win the league’s Golden Boot with 17 goals. For comparison, no NWSL rookie has ever won the Golden Boot in their first year, though Lynn Williams did earn the honor in her second season in 2016. And only two NWSL players — Williams and Ashley Hatch — have ever won the Golden Boot and a title in the same year.

So, when Fishel and Tigres hoisted the trophy on Monday night after a 3-0 aggregate win over Club America, there was reason to celebrate the history. Fishel had made the leap to a new country with a different culture and style of play, and she helped deliver a title, with tens of thousands of fans in the stands and almost three million watching at home.

All of that makes Fishel’s lack of involvement with the U.S. women’s national senior team somewhat confounding as evidence mounts that she, at the very least, deserves a look at the international level. The U.S., while missing several talented forwards due to injury, has held a roster spot for teenager Alyssa Thompson in the last two international windows, but not Fishel.

The Concacaf W Championship this summer required stricter roster rules (though Fishel did not feature on the provisional list for that tournament, either). But when it comes to friendlies, the USWNT makes its own camp rules. In August, head coach Vlatko Andonovski said that Fishel’s resume didn’t yet warrant a roster spot.

“We do follow her form and her performances, but I also have to say that there are a lot of players in the NWSL that are performing as good and even better than Mia,” he said then.

¡¡G⚽⚽⚽L!!!

Apareció la Campeona de Goleo. 👑
🐟Mia Fishel empató el marcador en el BBVA.#VamosPorEllas👊🏼 | 📹#NoTeLoPierdas pic.twitter.com/zbwHAEG0nZ

— LigaBBVAFemenil (@LigaBBVAFemenil) November 8, 2022

As Fishel has continued to produce in the Mexican league, Andonovski’s messaging has also slowly evolved.

“Mia is on our depth chart and is … I wouldn’t be wouldn’t be able to say where she’s at,” he told reporters following the release of the roster for the October friendlies. “We’re monitoring her form and her performances. I had a very good conversation with her, and she understands where she’s at.”

In November, the conversations about Fishel from inside the U.S. camp were even more positive, even though she again did not feature on the roster.

“I had a conversation with Mia, and she is someone we’ve followed, certainly someone we keep an eye on. We’re happy for her success down there. She did a really good job,” Andonovski said.

“At the same time, she understands the competition that is on the national team and the players she is competing against. She’s patiently waiting for her opportunity. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see her in a future camp.”

Andonovski’s evolving stance is an indication of Fishel’s hard work paying off, but questions remain about what it takes to get a look at a U.S. team that has obvious gaps to fill, even if only in the short term. Only two players who have been consistently in USWNT camps in recent months play outside the NWSL — Catarina Macario and Lindsey Horan of Olympique Lyon — though the coaching staff says that is not necessarily a factor.

Liga MX Femenil is still a young league, but it takes steps forward in competition and global recruiting with every passing year. And the USWNT has a talented prospect making history right in front of them.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the newly reported indefinite absence of NWSL star Trinity Rodman from the Washington Spirit, with the 22-year-old attacker rehabbing an ongoing back injury that could reshape the prospects of both the Spirit and the USWNT.

Calling her "the face of the NWSL," Watkins details the Spirit star's long-term back injury, which has led Rodman to seek treatment with a team doctor in London — all while acknowledging that she doesn't think her "back will ever be 100%."

Watkins digs into the potential contributing factors to Rodman's current injury status, including the USWNT's heavy use of the forward during the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning run in Paris — and whether the team will make different decisions going forward due to the fallout on players like Rodman.

"I'm really curious if [USWNT manager Emma] Hayes and her coaching staff will adjust the way they approach strikers in the future, or forwards in the future, or rotation — or if this is just one of those many stories of a player giving it all for the United States and living with the consequences," says Watkins.

As for Washington, Watkins note that — in the wake of copious injuries — the Spirit is still finding ways to win, with club owner Michele Kang and the coaching staff shrewdly managing the depleted roster.

"I think they would be a juggernaut if they were healthy, but they can win pretty, they can win ugly," notes Watkins.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

'An NWSL breaking point'

Watkins also points out that she thinks Rodman's choice to seek treatment in London could be significant, as the forward is currently in a contract year.

With multiple NWSL standouts recently defecting to European clubs, Watkins argues that the US league is hitting a "breaking point" when it comes to retaining top players.

"I am just really, really curious if, by the end of this season, this situation has led Rodman back to the Spirit or if this is the beginning of a player having to progress forward in a different environment," Watkins sums up.

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

There's a traffic jam in the middle of the NWSL standings, with this weekend's slate bound to create some distance among mid-table teams jockeying to break free from the pack.

Between rising underdogs and top-dog rivalries, expect the 2025 NWSL season's sixth matchday to leave it all on the field:

• No. 2 Orlando Pride vs. No. 6 Angel City, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): With both teams coming off demoralizing losses last weekend, the 2024 NWSL champs will fight to bounce back against the LA upstarts in Friday's marquee matchup.

• No. 10 Houston Dash vs. No. 11 Utah Royals, Friday at 8 PM ET (NWSL+): Tied up at four points apiece, the pair of struggling teams just below playoff contention on the NWSL table will battle for a boost above the cutoff line as the recently sold Royals take a trip to Texas on Friday.

• No. 3 Washington Spirit vs. No. 4 Gotham FC, Saturday at 1 PM ET (CBS): This week's top-table showdown features two injury-struck East Coast rivals getting rowdy at Audi — can Gotham turn things around or will Washington keep persevering?

• No. 9 Bay FC vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, Saturday at 10 PM ET (ION): Seattle holds a slim tie-break over Bay FC as both teams hug the playoff line, with the Reign looking to build on last week’s Cascadia Clash victory over Portland.

This weekend has the potential to divide the contenders from the pretenders, while the league's top three clubs continue to hold court over the rest of the field.

Saturday's soccer lineup underlines a brewing East Coast rivalry, as the Washington Spirit hosts Gotham FC for the first time since knocking the Bats out of the 2024 NWSL semifinals.

"Just playing against them, you feel that fire," Spirit forward Makenna Morris told JWS this week, with Washington's Audi Field anticipating a large crowd for Saturday's match.

Both clubs know each other well, with 2021 NWSL champions Washington and 2023 trophy-winners Gotham seeing a number of big-name players migrating between New York and DC in recent years.

After finishing 2024 in the league's top four, both teams continue to lurk near the top of NWSL table this season, cementing the idea that the best rivalries blossom between winning sides.

"The [team] that poses the most challenge to you, it just makes you want to beat them so bad," said Washington midfielder Gabby Carle.

"You hate to play them because they're good, but you also love it because it's so competitive," echoed Morris.

Ultimately, familiarity is breeding healthy resentment between two of the NWSL's winningest sides, providing a little extra incentive to secure all three points in this weekend’s matchup.

How to watch NWSL rivals Washington vs. Gotham this weekend

The Spirit will host East Coast rival Gotham at 1 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the 2024 NWSL semifinals rematch airing on CBS.

As the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) wraps up its two-leg semifinals on Sunday, the English teams still in the running find themselves on the brink of elimination from Europe's most prestigious club competition.

Facing a 4-1 deficit against reigning champs Barcelona, Chelsea will aim to close the gap — and keep their historic quadruple hopes alive — at home this weekend.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will try to overcome a more manageable 2-1 deficit against eight-time Champions League winners Lyon, traveling to France to keep their UWCL campaign alive.

An English side hasn't won the UWCL since 2007, when Arsenal took home the WSL's lone European championship trophy.

"Huge respect for their history and what they have been doing and producing in the Champions League, in Europe," Arsenal manager Renée Slegers said of Lyon. "I think they're still a very strong side."

"Subconsciously, you always have that thing when you fall short, like last year," said Lyon midfielder and USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps, reflecting back on last season’s title loss to Barcelona. "You lose a game, you lose a tournament – the feeling is there until you're back in the the games that can fix that feeling."

How to watch the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals

Sunday's second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals kicks off with Chelsea vs. Barcelona at 9 AM ET, before Arsenal faces Lyon at 12 PM ET.

Both matches will air live on DAZN.